Westboro Baptist Church raises a ruckus at schools, Flint convention

FLINT, MI - A group of six from Westboro Baptist Church raised a ruckus around Flint Friday morning, Oct. 5, at Southwestern Classical Academy, the University of Michigan-Flint and planned to head to Grand Blanc High School.

"This is the only love you can show your neighbor," said Abigail Phelps, one of the protestors from Westboro. "We're here to tell them, 'Yeah, there is a God.'"

Phelps said this is the third time the Topeka, Kansas, church has protested at the Society of Environmental Journalists conference, this year held in Flint.

"The media is primarily to blame for spreading the lie that there is no God," she said, adding that a person in Michigan can't turn on the news without hearing about crises in Flint and Detroit. "They say it's mother nature, which is a false God."

The group also sang songs and held signs saying gay and transgender people are evil.

There were around 12 Flint police officers between the Westboro group and a group of counter-protesters Friday outside Southwestern.

The Flint School District had closed the school for the day

Derrick Lopez, superintendent of Flint Community Schools, said in a letter on Thursday, Oct. 4, that the high school was closed "for the protection of our students and district staff."

Teacher Andrew Morton said he used to live in Flint and held up a sign that said, "My gay agenda: Teach all kids to love themselves ..." on one side and "Protect trans youth" on the other.

He was at Southwestern Friday with a group of about 12 to show support for Flint kids.

"I'm a proud, gay man," Morton said. "I am a teacher and an advocate for all young people. I know there are a lot of queer youth in Flint."

Morton laughed at the Westboro group's covers of pop songs that decried gay and transgender people.

"I am an advocate for people who don't always get the support," he said.

The Kansas-based group planned to hold protests on Friday outside of Southwestern Classical Academy, Grand Blanc High School and during the Society Environmental Journalist conference at the University of Michigan-Flint.